A team of scientists from Purdue University has banded together to put the brakes on aggressive prostate cancer by reducing its lethality through new and innovative drug treatments.
Taking the Foot off the Gas Pedal
Prostate cancer is widely understood by the American Cancer Society to be the second most fatal cancer among male patients. It’s no wonder that researchers from around the world have been working for decades to reduce or eliminate the impact prostate cancers have on men — and one team of scientists have developed a new drug that may help take prostate cancer’s lead foot off the accelerator.
In a recent press release from the university, it was revealed that Purdue researchers have developed a medication that targets a membrane protein within the human body called the laminin receptor. As this protein can stimulate the growth of tumors and cancer cells when overexpressed, the newly-developed drug seeks to slow down or prevent this process from occurring.
One Drug, Multiple Functions
The new drug works by both binding to the laminin receptor in order to cut its ability to aid in tumor growth and limiting communication between tumors and blood vessels. It also inhibits the viability, migration, and proliferation of cancer cells through its ability to mimic anti-angiogenesis and anti-proliferative pathways.
The new Purdue drug is especially noteworthy because it can perform all these multiple cancer treatment functions by itself, something that has a number of implications when it comes to making it easier to treat patients suffering from prostate cancer. Because of its capabilities, the scientists behind its development say that other aggressive cancers could be treated with this new drug as well, including breast, liver, colon, and pancreatic cancer. It may be useful in treating pets with a cancer diagnosis as well.
No Timetable Just Yet
This new drug will likely have many doctors interested in knowing when they can begin using it in conjunction with their cancer patients. However, there’s no timetable for just when Purdue’s newly-created medication will be made available on a commercial level. Between rigorous clinical trials and then evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration, it’s likely to be many months or even years before this drug enters the mainstream.
